Featured African Beans: Kenya, Ethiopia, & Tanzania
Africa is where coffee was born—and it's where some of the most dynamic and flavorful beans in the world continue to grow today. At Passport Coffee & Tea, we’re proud to showcase three standout origins from the continent: Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania. While all three share volcanic soil, high elevations, and rich coffee-growing traditions, the distinct climates of each region shape beans with unique personalities. This month, we’re highlighting these exceptional coffees and how their environments—and our roasting—bring their flavors to life.
Ethiopia: Bright, Floral, and Delicately Complex
Ethiopia is widely regarded as the birthplace of coffee. According to legend, coffee was discovered centuries ago by a goat herder named Kaldi, who noticed his goats becoming unusually energetic after eating berries from a certain tree. That tree, of course, was the coffee plant. Today, Ethiopia remains home to some of the most diverse and genetically rich coffee varieties in the world, many of which still grow wild in the forests. This deep heritage, combined with ideal growing conditions, gives Ethiopian coffee its iconic place in the global coffee story—and in your cup.
Our Ethiopian beans come from the renowned Yirgacheffe region in the country’s southern highlands. Grown between 1,700 and 2,200 meters above sea level, this region enjoys cool temperatures (59°F–68°F) and steady rainfall throughout the year. The volcanic soil is mineral-rich and well-drained, and most coffee is grown under shade trees, creating a gentle microclimate that supports slow, even cherry ripening.
This climate is a big reason why Ethiopian coffee is so celebrated. The slower maturation enhances the bean’s floral complexity, citrusy brightness, and tea-like body—traits that make Yirgacheffe coffee both elegant and expressive.
At our roastery, we treat these beans with the utmost respect, roasting them as our lightest roast option. This light roast preserves the origin’s ethereal character and allows the natural flavors—jasmine, lemon zest, bergamot—to shine through with clarity.
Kenya: Bold Acidity and Juicy Fruit Depth
Moving south, Kenyan coffee—particularly from regions like Nyeri, Kirinyaga, and the Mount Kenya slopes—thrives in a similarly high-altitude, volcanic-soil environment. However, Kenya’s climate features more distinct wet and dry seasons, along with slightly warmer harvest conditions. The result is a climate that supports vibrant cherry development and crisp, high-acid profiles.
Kenya’s SL28 and SL34 varietals are part of what gives these beans their trademark intensity. Grown between 1,500 and 2,100 meters, Kenyan coffees often showcase bright, juicy acidity with flavors ranging from blackcurrant and grapefruit to tomato and cranberry. The cup is bold, clean, and structured.
We roast our Kenyan beans to highlight their vibrant fruit-forward nature without overwhelming their balance. It’s a slightly deeper roast than our Ethiopian offering but still emphasizes clarity, brightness, and complexity.
Tanzania Peaberry: Sweet, Rounded, and Uniquely Expressive
Our Tanzanian Peaberry beans come from the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru, where coffee grows between 1,400 and 2,000 meters above sea level in rich volcanic soil. The climate in this region features distinct rainy seasons, cool mountain air, and high elevation—ideal conditions for producing flavorful, slow-maturing coffee cherries.
What makes this coffee especially unique is the peaberry mutation itself. In about 5–10% of cherries, only one round bean develops instead of the usual two. These peaberries are often said to roast more evenly and pack a more concentrated, rounded flavor profile.
In the cup, our Tanzanian Peaberry offers a smooth, medium body with bright but balanced acidity. Flavor notes lean toward stone fruit (like peach or plum), soft citrus, brown sugar, and sometimes a hint of cocoa or spice. It shares the clarity of East African coffees like Ethiopia and Kenya but brings a touch more richness and sweetness to the table.
We roast this coffee to highlight its naturally sweet and layered profile, making it a comforting yet lively option for those who enjoy a well-rounded cup with gentle complexity.
Shared Roots, Unique Expressions
What unites all three of these African coffees is their elevation, volcanic soil, and ideal growing climates, which together create a spectrum of clean, vibrant, and nuanced flavor profiles. But it’s the subtle differences—the rainfall patterns, temperature shifts, and varietals—that set each cup apart.
Ethiopian Yirgacheffe: Light, floral, citrusy — our lightest roast, perfect for lovers of elegance and clarity.
Kenyan: Bold, juicy, fruit-driven — a more assertive cup for those who enjoy vibrant acidity and depth.
Tanzanian: Balanced, sweet, gently spiced — the middle ground with comforting warmth and layered complexity.
Each of these beans tells the story of its landscape and climate, brought to life by skilled farmers and careful roasting.
Explore our Featured African Beans in-store or online and taste how place, process, and passion come together in every cup. Whether you’re drawn to the floral heights of Ethiopia, the bold tang of Kenya, or the soft sweetness of Tanzania, there’s something on the African continent for every coffee lover’s palate.
